Europass — supporting learning and working in Europe

SUMMARY OF:

Decision (EU) 2018/646 on a common framework for the provision of better services for skills and qualifications (Europass)

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DECISION?

It updates the Europass service to help people communicate their skills, qualifications and experience using standardised templates. This aims to meet the evolving needs of:

individual users, such as learners, job-seekers, employers, workers and volunteers;
relevant stakeholders, such as education, training and youth work providers, guidance providers, employers, public employment services, trades unions, youth organisations and policymakers.

Europass is based on web-based tools and relevant available information. Its use is entirely voluntary.

The decision repeals Decision No 2241/2004/EC.

KEY POINTS

Europass uses an online platform to provide:

web-based tools to
- document and describe personal information in a variety of formats, including CV templates;
- document and describe skills* and qualifications acquired thorough work or education;
- assess and self-assess skills;
- access Europass supplement* templates;
information on and links to
- learning opportunities;
- qualifications and their frameworks and systems;
- opportunities to validate non-formal and informal learning;
- mutual recognition practices in different countries;
- learning and career guidance for those looking abroad;
- resources of relevant EU-level activities and agencies;
- skills and qualifications of use to a non-EU national coming to, or living in, the EU.

The online platform and the web-based tools and content:

are user-friendly, secure, free of charge and accessible to people with disabilities;
permit reuse by national authorities and other stakeholders;
allow users to store data, such as a personal profile;
exist in all EU official languages;
support services to authenticate digital documents.

Europass supplements:

are issued by national authorities using the relevant template;
are developed and updated by the European Commission in close cooperation with national governments, stakeholders, Council of Europe and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO);
are issued free of charge, preferably electronically, in the national (or where possible another European) language;
do not replace, or formally recognise, an original diploma or certificate.

The Commission:

manages the online platform;
ensures the active participation of national authorities and stakeholders in implementing and developing the system;
provides for exchange of best practice;
ensures effective and adequate EU-wide promotion, guidance and information is available for users and stakeholders;
must submit an evaluation report to the European Parliament and the Council by 23 May 2023 and again every 5 years.

EU countries’ national authorities are responsible for implementing the system and providing it with the necessary support and visibility, including links to relevant national websites.

The Europass system:

respects EU personal data protection legislation, especially Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of personal data and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies;
is open to other European countries;
receives EU co-financing.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DECISION APPLY?

It has applied since 22 May 2018.

BACKGROUND

On 10 June 2016, the Commission issued a communication ‘The New Skills Agenda for Europe’. This was designed to make skills more visible and comparable to help individuals make better career choices.

One of its 10 proposals was to update the original Europass framework adopted in 2004 (Decision No 2241/2004/EC). This contains a set of 5 templates to help people identify their skills and qualifications to create CVs and portfolios.

Europass aims to reach all potential users, including the less-well educated, the elderly, the long-term unemployed and people with disabilities, as well as the highly educated and digitally literate.

Since 2005, over 93 million document templates have been downloaded and over 60 million Europass CVs created online.

For more information, see:

Europass (European Commission).

KEY TERMS

Skills: what a person knows, understands and can do through formal, informal or non-formal learning.

Europass supplements: documents, such as diplomas and certificates, issued by the relevant authority.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Decision (EU) 2018/646 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 April 2018 on a common framework for the provision of better services for skills and qualifications (Europass) and repealing Decision No 2241/2004/EC (OJ L 112, 2.5.2018, pp. 42-50)